(no subject)

[nny]

I don't have particularly sophisticated taste in things, I confess. I'd like to say that I don't believe in any sort of heirarchy as far as taste goes, and that's true to an extent; obviously I will appreciate someone else's taste more if it meshes with mine. Fact of life.

Truth of the matter is my taste is shallow. I like music that sounds nice, I like art that looks good, I read books I enjoy to read. It sounds like elementary, my dear Watson, (which I don't believe he ever said in the books), but it's something I've had complaints on before. Mighty Tom and I had an enormous argument about the B-52s, once, because he was attempting to make me see how clever their music was and I was telling him that I didn't like it. To me, whether I like it or not is far more important than how cutting edge it might be. Music especially; what I look for mostly is something I can have playing while I do something else; something that won't draw my attention to it in any way.

Thing is about all of this, of course, is that I am always willing to have my mind changed. And that's something I've done too easily in the past because it's always been important to me to fit in, not to cause any sort of ruckus, but I'm really getting a lot better at expressing my own opinions about things and holding my own. I love talking about art with people, or music, or books. I am always willing to give something a chance, and if I don't understand why someone would like something I love, more than anything, hearing them rant about it.

I've completely strayed away from what I was going to say here, which is that my parents are watching the Office in the other room, which is why I'm in here. As much as they explain why they like that sort of thing, I really don't see it myself. It's... far too true to life, for me. I like escapism. I like fantasy. I like the bad guys to be bad, and the good guys to be good, and I'm absolutely willing to accept changing sides and shifting motives but I don't like seeing the petty nastiness that happens every day. Because it happens every day.

Terry Pratchett does it well, see. His characters are human and they have flaws, they can be petty and nasty and through all of it shines the fact that he really loves them. He seems to genuinely like people. Have little patience for them, sure, and be very good at seeing and depicting their faults, but he likes them. Ricky Gervais, on the other hand... I find it painful to watch. I always find ritual humiliation painful to watch. Any film, I guarantee there will be a part where I'm hiding behind a cushion from a character's embarrassment.



And I am absolutely incapable of writing anything that comes to a conclusion or sticks to a coherent line of thought, huh? I envy that in apiphile. I guess I'll practice while I'm doing my A-level, if my cheque ever actually comes.

Comments

[batyatoon]

I don't like seeing the petty nastiness that happens every day. Because it happens every day.

Hear hear.

[villainny.livejournal.com]

I guess I like things to be bigger than life. The evil is eviller and, more importantly, directed. I don't like... I don't like people being nasty 'cos they just are, regardless of who it's too. Or I like them to have more important motives than 'because I can'. If I wanted real life I'd switch off the TV and leave the house more often. XD

[ms-ntropy.livejournal.com]

I had a really hard time with The Office as well.
The American version is less painful, but only slightly so.

My contact embarassment detectors have hair triggers.

[villainny.livejournal.com]

Yeeessss! That's it precisely. I knew there was a phrase for it. XD

[villainny.livejournal.com]

*cheerfully reveals stupidity to the world*

I'm very bright, you know.

[ms-ntropy.livejournal.com]

*blinks*

I missed something vital, didn't I?

[genarti]

I have never seen either version of The Office, but I'm pretty sure I'd hate it too. For just that reason.

I hate being embarrassed, and I haaaaaate seeing characters be. Particularly deliberately.

[ms-ntropy.livejournal.com]

There is one episode from the American version that I like, but that's really because one of the side plots is this epic game of Jinx.

And how can you not love an epic game of Jinx.

[apiphile.livejournal.com]

My love, the day I stick to one train of thought and manage to make it come out coherently will be the day the world ends in a ball of flame and pea soup. :)

(My opinion on music is roughly the same as yours. If I like it, I lik it. Tony once tried to make me love Black Sabbath and I just laughed at him)

[gramarye1971]

*nods soberly* There are certain films and television shows that I simply can't stand to watch -- the film Sideways, for example. The only way that I can explain my sheer hatred for that film is the fact that it makes me feel like I'm a guest at someone's house, and over dinner two or three of the family members get into a huge argument. Not just a one-off argument, either; the sort of argument that can only come from years of festering resentment and general dysfunctionality. It makes me uncomfortable, watching that. There's something horrid and voyeuristic about it, and knowing that I'm supposed to be laughing at it just makes it even worse. There's no love for the characters, just a sneering or horrified laughter at their overall misery.

And like you, I think that there's already far too much of that in real life without having to show it in fiction as well.

[vimeslady.livejournal.com]

I agree. Particularly with the part about Pratchett. But I also tend to not state many of my opinions to people who might strongly disagree. I'm a wimp.

And I adore your "That's what fiction means" icon. I wish it were true all the time.